Youth Action International is a non-governmental organization that uses grassroots techniques to develop and implement programs that help alleviate the suffering of children affected by war or living in difficult circumstances, empower them to reach their full potential, and break cycles of violence and poverty.
This month, YAI will launch a revolutionary pilot program intended to enhance education and literacy for children in Monrovia from birth to 8 years-of-age. The program started when Mother Goose Time, a U.S.-based company that provides preschool curriculum in monthly themed kits aimed at nurturing children’s emotional, physical and intellectual growth, began donating thousands of educational kits to YAI as a first start in improving Liberia’s early education program. Now, Mother Goose Time is coupling the materials with a teacher training program.
“Initially, we expect to train and mobilize 200 teachers who will in turn, educate over 8,000 students,” said Leslie Falconer, CEO of Mother Goose Time. “Once the pilot is successful, our intent is to capacitate all of the teachers in Liberia and begin transferring what we have learned to other countries with children in need.” Although education was declared free and compulsory in the country in 2007, there is a short supply of trained teachers. The pilot project helps solve the pressing need quickly by setting up peer-to-peer training and support among Liberian teachers.
The Mother Goose Time program addresses the reality of post-war countries by increasing the education of young children and decreasing the likelihood that these children will be easily enlisted in future rebellion.
CNN International’s African Voices profile of YAI Executive Director, Kimmie Weeks is available online. African Voices is a weekly 30-minute show that highlights the life and work of a range of people from across Africa. Individuals already profiled include the president of Botswana, Ian Khama, as well as Kofi Annan. With a viewing audience of over 200 million people in 250 countries, CNN International reaches a wide spectrum of society. Watch the profile of Kimmie Weeks below, or visit http://edition.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/africanvoices/ for more info.
Kimmie Weeks tells Jerome about the work his organization is doing in Liberia and across the African continent. He survived the Liberian civil war and has dedicated his life to children’s rights. To listen to the interview go to:
I’ve been thinking about what to write since I came back from Liberia. I am from Spain and English is my fourth language – I also speak Spanish, Italian, and Catalan. So as you can imagine, it took me forever to put all my thoughts in order in English.
My name is Esther Rodriguez-Brown. My husband, Michael, and I are the founders of The Embracing Project, a non profit organization we created to educate inner city youth about the similarities between genocide and gang activity. One purpose of this journey is to expose inner city youth to the experiences of children soldiers in different parts of the world and then to create a pen-pal relationship between both groups.
YAI’s current Country Representative in Sierra Leone, Yeanoh Conteh, is leaving after several years of dedicated service to YAI, to pursue her Master’s Degree. Her successor will be Donald Kalokah, who previously served as Program Officer for in Sierra Leone. Congratulations to Donald and good luck to Yeanoh on her new adventure!
CNN International has completed its profile of Kimmie Weeks to be featured on CNN’s African Voices. African Voices is a 30 minute weekly show that highlights the life and work of a range of people from across Africa. Individuals already profiled include the president of Botswana, Ian Khama, as well as Kofi Annan. With a viewing audience of over 200 million people in 250 countries, CNN International reaches a wide spectrum of society. In a letter to Kimmie Weeks, CNN producers stated that they selected him for a profile because of his “outstanding story” and “exceptional humanitarian work”. For more information go to http://edition.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/africanvoices/
The Hour Hands Campaign is a global initiative to reclaim the horrific and brutal hours that the people of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Uganda spent in the midst of civil war. These wars lasted generations – the entire lifetimes of a generation of young people.
Through the Hour Hands Campaign, YAI is trying to raise $150,000 by December 24th. This date marks the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the Liberian civil war. Let’s put HOUR HANDS together and reclaim the hours lost to the ravages of war. Donate the value of an hour of your time to reclaim an hour lost to civil war, or join our efforts by fundraising on behalf of YAI. For more info, click the Hour Hands Campaign link on the left.
One of the easiest special events, and sometimes one of the most lucrative, is the common house party. In some ways, it seems ludicrous to describe how to do a house party, since anyone who has ever had a birthday party, school picnic, anniversary celebration, a small wedding or bat mitzvah already possesses the knowledge and experience necessary to organize and host a house party. However, because sometimes the seemingly easy events are fraught with pitfalls, some obvious and not-so-obvious tips on hosting a house party are described below.
What is a House Party?
A house party is a social event organized by staff, board members and/or volunteers associated with a nonprofit organization whereby they invite their friends to a party at their house as a means of educating attendees about a particular issue, establishing greater name recognition for the organization, and generating financial support for the organization.
Education – A house party is a good way to raise consciousness about the issues addressed by the host’s organization. House parties are best used to explain a complicated issue to many people at once, allowing them to ask questions and get the information they want. In the early days of the United Farm Workers movement, for example, house parties were used to explain the plight of migrant farm workers and the concept of UFW union to sympathetic, middle-class, non-agricultural people who had financial ability to give, but possessed little concrete information about the movement.
Name Recognition – A house party enables a group of people to meet someone famous or important whose work is related to the cause championed by the host’s organization. For example, a candidate for office, a prominent spokesperson for the cause, a person who has direct life experience related to the cause. This person gives a testimonial or asserts a particular viewpoint, and the host describes what people can do to respond (vote, give money, boycott, give money demonstrate, give money). Attendees often feel compelled to take action and more apt to remember the organization because in their minds it is associated with the moving testimonial.
Financial Support – A house party provides a social setting to meet people, see old friends and eat good food. When organized correctly, it sets up a cordial atmosphere for someone not familiar with the group to hear a lot about it, ask questions, and get some personal attention without being obligated to give. People can either give a very small gift or not give at all without embarrassing themselves, and they can attend without having to pay to get in. No matter what else you ask people to do, ask them to give money. It is the only thing they can do right on the spot and, because it is usually the most passive action, it requires the least amount of work. There are five steps to putting on a house party.
Between June 1 – 3, 2009, a group of 200 delegates from around the world convened to attend the Kellogg Innovative Network (KIN Global). The goal of the event was to build a path toward global prosperity. During the event, delegates raised close to $50,000 in support of YAI’s work.
The funds are in support of YAI’s Center for Women’s Empowerment in Sierra Leone and Liberia as well as the KIN YAI Award for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
YAI’s Center for Women’s Empowerment provides vocational training, small business development workshops, and micro-loans to 500 women every year from the poorest communities in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
As a follow-up, a small group of KIN Global delegates led by Rob Wolcott and Michelle Buck will travel to Liberia to discover additional ways to help reduce Liberia’s high unemployment rate, which currently stands at 75%.
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Youth Action International, Inc.
125 Park Street
Suite 450
Traverse City, MI 49684
NETWORK FOR GOOD
Donate through Network for Good (with this option you can set up a monthly donation)
WIRE TRANSFER
To donate by wire transfer, please send an email to kimmie (at) peaceforkids.org for bank details.
Your donation will go directly to helping Youth Action International fund its many projects. YAI is a registered 501.c.3, so your donation is tax deductible. For a copy of our determination letter, click: 501c3-determination-letter-use.pdf
Martina B. Marshall - Martina joined the YAI family in October of 2007 as Program Officer for Women and currently serves as Country Representative for YAI- Liberia. A cum laude graduate of the African Methodist Episcopal University (A.M E.U), she holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology. Her goal is to contribute to society through the skills, knowledge and experience she has acquired over the years. She describes herself as a determined and strong-willed person who believes in implementing and executing change.Her decision to pursue sociology as a profession was rooted in her belief that all human beings interact best with one another when every side of them is free (Johari Window- four sides of (FREE-HIDDEN-BLIND-UNKNOWN).The fifteen-year civil crisis in Liberia broadened her scope on the problems needing most immediate attention in Liberia.Working with YAI created a platform on which she could contribute to her war-ravaged country.“Liberia holds a lot of promise and with our work, we can touch lives, fulfill dreams, and educate the youth so as to create a vibrant and wholesome society. Though challenging the task, we are determined to make this emerging success story to come to fruition.” – Martina
D. Isaac E. Hinneh, Jr. - Isaac Hinneh is a B.A. candidate of Sociology and Management at the African Methodist Episcopal University in Monrovia, Liberia.A Senior Member of Sociology Students Associated, Isaac holds a certificate in Conflict Management and Transitional Justice.Throughout the course of Liberia’s devastating civil war, Isaac often risked his own life to secure food and necessary resources such as medicine for his family.In 1994, Isaac and 30 other youths, including Kimmie Weeks, risked their lives for a social cause to work with Voice of the Future. The first local Child Rights Advocacy Organization in postwar Liberia, Voice of the Future gave marginalized youth the opportunity to advocate for child rights and exposed them to the world of social leadership.Isaac served as Child Rights Advocator (1994-1999), a role that later led to other social leadership positions such as Assist. Chairman Children Disarmament Committee (1996) Co-Founder and Assistant Director of Information for the Children Bureau of Information (1997-1998), Co-Founder and Chairman of The Children Parliament (1997-1998) and Editor for The Golden Kids News (1997-1998).In 2004, Isaac began work as a Sales Representative for GepCo Petroleum Company, supplying petroleum products to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).Isaac left his position in 2005 to work with a very newly established YAI-Liberia.His dedication led a position as Project Coordinator, where he works to develop, implement and evaluate existing projects.“Having been a victim of a traumatic civil war as a child – having experienced the way children suffered at the hand of adult decisions – advocating for the rights of children has become a way of life for me.” – Isaac
Beageorge M. Cooper - Beageorge Cooper holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting with a minor in Management from the African Methodist Episcopal University located in Monrovia, Liberia.She is the outgoing Secretary General for the Student Union Council government of her University. She has a certificate in Conflict Resolution and Peace-building and has participated in various youth politics and leadership trainings.She also facilitates youth workshops, believing that sharing knowledge of what she knows with others is fun.Beageorge will enroll in a graduate school this year to study International Relations.She has found a great passion in doing humanitarian work since joining YAI in June 2008.“Humanitarian work has allowed me to see how millions of people live in penury and how eager they are to rise up from their penurious lives.A part of me has the urge to help them rise to a greater level and get some of the privileges I have and so much more.” – Beageorge
Gloria T. Mason - Gloria is a senior student at the University of Liberia, majoring in sociology with a minor in Management and Accounting.Gloria considers her high school years during Liberia’s intense civil war, one of her most challenging times.Having lost her father at the tender age of seven, Gloria was forced to sell goods to help support her single-parent household and pay her way through school.In spite of the trials, she was determined to set the stars as her limit in seeking an education.Following high school, Gloria found a part-time job at the Global Networking Technical School, which enabled her to also gain computer literacy and make herself more marketable.She was fortunate to work with the United States Embassy in 2005 as a custodian.That same year, Gloria heard young activist Kimmie Weeks speak and was inspired by the work of her fellow Liberian.She joined YAI initially as a volunteer and currently serves as Office Manager for the Liberia office.
“My mission with YAI was one of the greatest things that ever happened in my life.I joined YAI as a volunteer to serve humanity.What I dream of is to help people in any way I can because of the suffering I went through.Kimmie has been an inspirational person in my life.My goal is to be the best I can be so that I can help someone’s life: my friends, my community, my family and my country as a whole.” – Gloria
Oliver O. Menyongar - A student at the University of Liberia, Oliver is a Public Administration major with a minor in Organizational Management.He holds a certificate in Conflict Resolution from the Lutheran World Service and is active in community service projects both in his church and the Monrovian community at-large.Oliver experienced the afflictions of war first-hand, during Liberia’s extensive civil war.Often surviving days without food, stalling his education and living in constant fear and uncertainty, Oliver’s conviction to help his fellow Liberians was fed by his wartime experience.At the first sign of peace in 2005, Oliver joined the Irish contingent of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) as a social worker to help ensure peaceful stability and aid needy families in Monrovia.Oliver’s passion led him to join YAI-Liberia as a Public Relations Officer, where he works to spread awareness of empowerment opportunities to fellow Liberians.
“Looking at the problematic effect this 14-year war had on Liberia, being able to share information on how people can be helped and YAI’s new approaches to solving some of these problems in our society means a lot to me. “ – Oliver
Congratulations to Amanda Hurlbut, a 12th grade student, who since 2009, has led Kids with Sole, in coordination with YAI to send 3000 pairs of sneakers to children in Liberia.
It is a year since I began my internship at Youth Action International and what I thought would be an easy task is very difficult. I do not know where to start in talking about my experiences over the last one year. To save myself from overworking my young brain trying to think about my experiences, I will use this medium to extend my gratitude to Kimmie and the Youth Action International family for affording me the opportunity to grow and develop in a more responsible leader.
I’ve been thinking about what to write since I came back from Liberia. I am from Spain and English is my fourth language – I also speak Spanish, Italian, and Catalan. So as you can imagine, it took me forever to put all my thoughts in order in English.
My name is Esther Rodriguez-Brown. My husband, Michael, and I are the founders of The Embracing Project, a non profit organization we created to educate inner city youth about the similarities between genocide and gang activity. One purpose of this journey is to expose inner city youth to the experiences of children soldiers in different parts of the world and then to create a pen-pal relationship between both groups.
Every year, Kimmie Weeks embarks on a nationwide speaking tour to motivate young people to become pioneers of change. To date, thousands of students have heard his message and many of them have gone on to start their own humanitarian organizations or have joined other change-making programs.
This is a question that has come up many times on my journey to Africa.
I suppose to clarify, and so as not to sound like a cynic, I should explain a little bit about myself. I’ve been a photographer for two and a half years now. When I first picked up a camera the only thought that went through my head was “Awesome, now I have a big chunk of metal, plastic and glass that will allow me to take clearer photos and I’ll soon be rich and famous as a result of having this camera!”
This was not the case as I am neither rich, nor famous (side from my own delusions of grandeur.) Anyways all of that is beside the point. If someone had told me the day that I picked up that camera that it would eventually lead me to post war West Africa, I would have laughed in their faces. Not because traveling to West Africa is a crazy idea, but simply because I did not see myself ever getting past the stage of “hobbyist” photography.
And yet, here I sit, in Sierra Leone, thousands of miles from home (6168 miles approximately) volunteering as the photographer for Youth Action International.
Now in regards to Africa, particularly Sierra Leone and Liberia, I don’t think that anything could have really prepared me for what I would experience here. This is including Kimmie’s ‘worst case scenario’ description of Liberia.
I wish I had been more diligent about documenting my experiences and reactions in Liberia, but I seemed to always put off the act of writing. I always told myself I was too tired or busy, but the truth is that I had a very difficult time reflecting on the barrage of experiences at the time. Throughout my time in Africa, I realized that I did not once shed a tear. It was only once I was on the plane from Accra to New York, on my way back to my privileged and comfortable life, that I was able to absorb the memories and the pictures that I was taking with me. As I looked through the pictures I had taken on my camera, I cried for a half an hour straight. I cried thinking about the hopeful faces on the small children at Temas Orphanage that I was leaving. I cried for young people of Grand Bassa County who do not have the opportunity to go to school. I cried because I realized that my life would be changed forever and I cried because I felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
A cross-section of observers, traditional and religious leaders, local and international media stormed Ri-Kwangba last week to witness the historical moment were Joseph Kony, the Lord Resistance Army (LRA) leader was supposed to sign the final peace agreement. The rest of the world held its breath to witness the day that northern Uganda would finally get to normalcy after 20 years of conflict between the Government of Uganda and the LRA rebels.
“Aren’t you nervous?” my dear friend carefully asked me when I told her that I’d be visiting Uganda. That’s how my parents reacted at first. I told myself it is not because Uganda is part of Africa that they are worried for my travel. Traveling to new places is always uncertain to some extent. However, I couldn’t deny that part of me was more worried than usual. What would I see? How would I feel? What should I expect? Am I mature enough? Above all, the question was ‘why would I want to go visit Africa’? I cannot tell Uganda story leaving out the influence of Kimmie and Youth Action International. I actually met Kimmie at Northfield Mount Hermon High School where Kimmie graduated from.
The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), an Acholi-based opposition group led by Joseph Kony has been fighting first against president Museveni’s government, and currently against other Acholi peoples. The Acholi are an ethnic group who live in Northern Uganda. Though Kony, leader of the LRA reportedly believes he has been chosen by God to overthrow president Museveni and establish a government based on the Ten Commandments, and a purified Acholi race, the LRA has yet to explain its goals or put forth any sort of political agenda. Continue reading
I wasn’t promised an African sunset. When Kimmie Weeks invited me on a humanitarian mission through post-conflict countries, what came to mind were the stunning landscape pictures my friends had brought back from the ranch in Kenya. It was how I had envisioned this beautiful continent. Streaks of red and orange, firing up the night sky of deep blue and purple: a kaleidoscope of color. Instead, I found another kind of sunset. I found the African people wasting away, dying brutal, horrific deaths at the hands of war, disease, and poverty. I found the sun setting on their lives. Not fading into the night with brilliant lights, but being shredded into a nonexistence wracked with pain and suffering. Continue reading
I’ve been thinking about what to write since I came back from Liberia. I am from Spain and English is my fourth language – I also speak Spanish, Italian, and Catalan. So as you can imagine, it took me forever to put all my thoughts in order in English.
CNN International has completed its profile of Kimmie Weeks to be featured on CNN’s African Voices. African Voices is a 30 minute weekly show that highlights the life and work of a range of people from across Africa. Individuals already profiled include the president of Botswana, Ian Khama, as well as Kofi Annan. With a viewing audience of over 200 million people in 250 countries, CNN International reaches a wide spectrum of society. In a letter to Kimmie Weeks, CNN producers stated that they selected him for a profile because of his “outstanding story” and “exceptional humanitarian work”. For more information go to http://edition.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/africanvoices/
“What have I gotten myself into?”
